Samsung C417

With the introduction of the Samsung c417, the “basic” handset has been forever redefined. Samsung has taken the most popular features–Bluetooth wireless technology, a VGA camera, instant messaging, and a speakerphone–and added a beautiful 2-inch, 65K color display, and quad-band world coverage. Yet, with all that power and functionality, the c417 still comes in an ultra-thin, ultra-stylish package. It’s the perfect choice for the Cingular value-inspired customer who wants a full-featured phone at an affordable price Design.


The c417 sports a slim, sleek clamshell design with a large 128 x 160 color display with over 65,000 colors. A supplementary, 96 x 64 monochrome OLED screen on the front of the cover keeps you up to speed on time, date, battery and signal strength, and more. Up and down buttons for volume control are placed on the left side of the phone, while most of the phone’s features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset’s control pad. There’s also a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets, while the phone’s charging port is placed on the bottom of the unit.

Calling Features
With a big 500-contact address book, the c417 is designed to hold all of your important calling information. The phone also features 40-chord polyphonic ringtones, and in addition to the built-in ringers, you can download additional ones from Cingular’s MEdia Net service. A vibrate alert silently notifies you of incoming calls when you want to be discreet, and a handy speakerphone lets you talk hands-free or hold conference calls. Meanwhile, ringer and picture ID lets you assign photos and ringtones to callers.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
Powerful messaging and Internet capabilities are built into the c417. Support is provided for sending and receiving pictures, text, graphics, sound, and video via MMS messages. Instant messaging is also supported via the AOL and Yahoo! messaging clients. There’s even a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing if you opt for the MEdia Net service from Cingular. MEdia Net lets you receive and send emails, read news headlines, get weather updates, download games and ringtones, and more. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit–a plus for mobile text messaging users.